PHILLY SPORTS CORNER

ALL-STAR NOTES-

* I loved the pre-game ceremony, honoring great Latin players of the past. It was cool to see guys like Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepada and Tony Perez again. These guys were legends when I was growing up.

* Phillies' reliever Pat Neshek pitched a scoreless second inning, which should help his trade value. Boston, the Yankees and Washington are interested. The return won't be great, but the Phils need to get whatever they can at this point.

* It looks like Philadelphia will get the All-Star game in 2026 when America celebrates it's 250th birthday. Philly hopes to get the Super Bowl, the NCAA Basketball finals and more sports events that year.

It will be 30 years in 2026 since the game was in Philly. I was hoping it would come sooner, maybe in 2020, but knowing it may be here in 9 years will be worth waiting for.

I can only imagine the Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park. Think of Aaron Judge hitting blasts into Ashburn Alley and beyond.

By then, hopefully the Phils will have a few participants in both the game and the derby.

PHILLIES-

So now comes the time when trades need to go down until the end of the month, which is the July 31 trade deadline. Players like Hellickson, Nava, Kendrick and Neshek should go. Others like Joseph, Herrera and Franco may go.

I really don't have much faith in GM Matt Klentak making the moves necessary to rebuild the struggling team. I don't have confidence in Klentak signing free agents, nor do I have hope in him draft the right young talent needed.

The Phillies seem to have nice prospects through-out the system but is there a young superstar- like Bryce Harper or Aaron Judge- who will change the franchise?

I get it that sports goes in cycles and the Phillies are currently in a down cycle. But then why are teams like the Cardinals or Dodgers always in contention, with young blood consistently flowing form their minors to the major leagues?

The Phillies seem to over-evaluate their talent, bot in Philly and in their farm system. One has to hope they haven't mis-judged their prospects, as that will really set the organization back another 5-10 years.

I'm hoping baseball men like Andy McPhal and Pat Gillick are supervising Klentak's moves. Sorry, I just don't trust him. He has yet to earn my faith.

* There's a rumor the Phillies may be interested in acquiring Miami's Giancarlo Stanton, picking up his 10-year, $300 million contract.

I can't see the Marlins letting him walk. He's the perfect fit in Miami, being a prominent Latin ballplayer.

Stanton is still young, a superstar, and would bring much-needed power to a Phillies line-up thirsting for home runs in bandbox Citizens Bank Park.

There's a risk of a devastating injury derailing the long contract. But it's only money and John Middleton has said he wants to spend and o whatever it takes to bring a championship to Philadelphia.

Forget Harper and Trout. Stanton would fill a need without giving up a player. i doubt it would happen, but if available, the Phils should investigate and pull the trigger.



EAGLES-

QB Carson Wentz and his receivers are working-out together in Wentz'  North Dakota. It's more of a bonding thing, as opposed to a "training camp."

Once official camp starts a week form Monday, all attention will turn to the Birds, at least until late October when the Sixers start playing meaningful basketball.

The Eagles need to  at least split their first two games, both road contests, against Washington and Kansas City. Starting 1-1, going into the big home opener vs. the New York Giants, would be huge.

The Redskin game is winnable. The Chiefs are tough to beat at home, plus the Washington game is key for division purposes.

Starting 0-2 wouldn't be disastrous, but then the Giants game would be a must-win early in the season.

Imagine going 2-0 coming into the home opener. Like last year, talk of the playoffs will help the city get excited.

So why is football so special compared to the other sports? Going to an Eagles game is unique. It's a once-a -week event. There's the tail-gating fun, the build-up to Sunday,the intense rivalries against hated teams like Dallas. Every game means something. It's the fall, the weather is getting cooler. There's Fantasy Football and football pools for betting.

Eagles games are unlike anything in the city. Tickets are tough to get. You circle certain games on the schedule. There's the goal of the playoffs, and the dream of going to the Super Bowl, which in itself is special, a one-game , winner-take- all spectacular show.

When our other teams suck, after a horrible summer of Phillies baseball, I look forward to the birds even more, even if I know in my heart they will probably end up breaking my heart in the end, as always.

Singing "Fly Eagles Fly" with the crowd at a game is special. Watching games at home with a group of family and friends is special. Even going a tit with Cowboys fans at work is special.

There is nothing like it in Philly sports. And all of that and more is just around the corner.

SIXERS-

It's ridiculous that the Sixers are charging their fans to be on a waiting list for tickets. Not to buy tickets but to be on a waiting list to buy tickets.

After their fans have suffered so long during the tanking years, why aren't the Sixers thanking the fans instead of trying to rip them off?

Because they can. And their ownership is greedy.

The last few seasons one could get tickets to 76'ers games literally for pennies. They were giving seats away just to try and fill the building. Now that the team has hope ( they're not good yet),the fans are getting screwed.

I may go to one Sixer game this upcoming season. I can't afford more. Plus no matter how good the Sixers may be, I still don't feel like giving my money to a carpetbagger owner and a dysfunctional organization that is really only out to get every dime out of their so-called loyal followers.